“Progression-free survival was more than doubled for patients with metastatic hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer resistant to aromatase inhibitor therapy by adding everolimus (Afinitor) to treatment with the endocrine therapeutic fulvestrant (Faslodex), according to data from the PrECOG 0102 phase II clinical trial presented at the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 6–10.

” ‘Endocrine therapy, often with an aromatase inhibitor, is the standard of care for most patients with HR-positive advanced breast cancer,’ said Noah S. Kornblum, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and attending physician, medicine at Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care. ‘However, over time, resistance to aromatase inhibitors develops and treating patients with aromatase inhibitor–resistant disease remains a challenge.’ ”

“It’s been an exciting year thus far for patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), with the FDA approving a new treatment regimen and more advancements on the horizon, according to James C. Yao, MD, a professor in the Department of Gastrointestinal (GI) Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

“In February, the FDA approved everolimus (Afinitor) as a treatment for patients with progressive, well-differentiated, non-functional NETs of GI or lung origin with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic disease. The mTOR inhibitor has been approved since 2011 for unresectable or advanced pancreatic NETs.

“Meanwhile, the agency is evaluating Lutathera (177Lutetium DOTA-octreotate), a peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), for patients with gastroenteropancreatic NETs under its priority review program. Similarly, telotristat etiprate, a small-molecule tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor, also is being considered under the FDA’s priority review program for carcinoid syndrome in patients with metastatic NETs.”

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“Patients with nonfunctioning neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of lung or gastrointestinal (GI) origin continued to live longer when treated with the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor everolimus (Afinitor) than with placebo, ongoing follow-up in a randomized trial has shown.

“A second planned interim analysis of the RADIANT-4 trial showed a 27% reduction in the estimated risk of death for patients who received everolimus compared with placebo. However, the difference did not meet the statistical threshold for overall survival (OS) significance.

“As previously reported, the trial met the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS), and a first interim survival analysis showed a trend in favor of the everolimus arm. Follow-up for survival will continue, James C. Yao, MD, a professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, reported at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting.”

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“Everolimus (Afinitor) has received a positive recommendation from the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) as a treatment for patients with progressive, unresectable or metastatic, well-differentiated nonfunctional gastrointestinal (GI) or lung neuroendocrine tumors (NETs).

“The positive opinion suggests the mTOR inhibitor everolimus is likely to be approved in this setting when the European Commission issues its final decision.

“CHMP based its recommendation on data from the phase III RADIANT-4 trial. In the study, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11 months with everolimus versus 3.9 months with placebo, representing a 52% reduction in the risk of progression or death (HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.35-0.67; P <.00001).”

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Neuroendocrine tumors of the digestive system (GI-NETs) can arise in different parts of the digestive tract. GI-NETs originating in the ileum, duodenum, and appendix are known as midgut NETs, and tumors of the stomach, colon, and rectum are non-midgut NETs. Many of these tumors are functional; that is, they produce a variety of hormonal substances that cause serious, debilitating symptoms. Continue reading…

“Everolimus (Afinitor) is now approved for treating inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic neuroendocrine tumors of gastrointestinal or lung origin, the FDA said Friday.

“The agency further specified that the tumors should be ‘progressive, well-differentiated [and] non-functional.’

“Approval was based primarily on a 302-patient trial comparing everolimus with placebo, both in combination with best supportive care. Median progression-free survival was 11 months in the active-drug arm compared with 3.9 months for placebo. However, in an interim analysis, there was no difference in overall survival, and response rates (i.e., achieving significant tumor shrinkage) were 2% with everolimus and 1% with placebo.”

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) can arise wherever neuroendocrine (hormone-producing) cells are found—which is in most organs. Most NETs (65%-70%) are gastroenteropancreatic, or GEP, arising in different gastrointestinal organs. GEP-NETs are most commonly found in the small bowel (including the appendix), stomach, and rectum. Still, NETs in general are rare, which complicates the development of new treatments and identification of the genetic drivers of these cancers. Treatment of GEP-NETs is clearly an unmet medical need, and is now even more urgent because their incidence has been on the rise in the last 20 years. Continue reading…

“In the phase III BOLERO-1 trial, reported in The Lancet Oncology, Hurvitz et al found that the addition of the mTOR inhibitor everolimus (Afinitor) to trastuzumab (Herceptin)-paclitaxel did not significantly increase progression-free survival among patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer. A 7-month prolongation in progression-free survival was observed with everolimus among patients with hormone receptor–negative disease.”